


Substory 2 - Cafe 101

by TheAwkwardStar



Series: Yakuza AU (Kingdom Hearts/Yakuza series) [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts, 龍が如く | Ryuu ga Gotoku | Yakuza (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Not Canon Compliant, at least you get dogs, but i couldn't control myself, im sorry, lots and lots of dogs, so have this substory that feels like both a cohesive story and a shitpost, this is way too long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 04:35:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20303548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAwkwardStar/pseuds/TheAwkwardStar
Summary: Kairi and her new friend set out to save some dalmatians from the terrifying Cruella DeVil.





	Substory 2 - Cafe 101

**Author's Note:**

> This has way too many Disney references in it. And for that, I apologize.

“...You sure you wanna leave Sora in charge? You could always wait for me to come back.”

Kairi sighed, tapping her index finger on the back of her phone. Riku was on the other end, currently in Sotenbori with Eraqus for another business venture. He was in the process of obtaining a new building in the area to expand the territory they already owned. If all went well, it would be one step closer to being a bigger clan than Xehanort’s. 

She didn't understand why she couldn't go with her own father. She _ was _ the future patriarch, after all. But in a way, it still made sense; they couldn't leave their main headquarters without a leader to run it. 

“...I'm sure.” Kairi rubbed her eyes. “I can trust him. And honestly? I need to step out for a bit. I'm cooped up in that office almost all the time.”

“Yeah, I know you hate being in there for too long.” Riku’s voice was gentle and sincere. She knew he'd understand. He always did when it came to her or Sora. 

“At least call him every once in a while to make sure he doesn't screw anything up. You know how he is.”

Kairi thought back to the time when Sora begged her to open a chocobo racing derby. Not only was it impractical with the high cost of importing chocobos that weren't native to Kamurocho; it would've been equally as expensive to hire tamers for the giant birds. They wouldn't let just anyone ride them, _ especially _if they were born in the wild. None of them were experienced in how to deal with chocobos. She didn't want to end up with some part of her body broken after a swift kick from their powerful legs. It was too risky, no matter how cute it was to see Sora get excited about something. He never really thought through the sorts of things that excited him.

“Will do. You and Eraqus don't have to worry. I'll make sure our headquarters stay in one piece.”

Riku chuckled. “Alright. Now go and get some fresh air. And eat something. I know you haven’t. There's plenty of stuff to do around town, so try doing something fun or relaxing during your break.”

“Right, yeah. I’ll think of something. See you later.”

Kairi hung up, then looked around the brightly lit street she was on. Kamurocho was usually buzzing with energy at night. The aroma of freshly-cooked food tickled her nose, making her stomach growl.

“I guess I could go eat something first. Didn't even notice I was hungry...”

Kairi started walking down the street, searching for a good place to eat. There were a lot of options on this side of the city. It was making it a little difficult to decide.

_ ...I wonder what Sora or Riku would eat at this hour. I should call one of them. Maybe Sora? _

Kairi sighed. _ Yep. Definitely Sora. I should make sure he hasn't made any weird decisions while I've been gone. It hasn't been too long, but still... _

While Kairi dug into her purse for her phone, someone came out of nowhere and collided with her. The phone slipped out of the bag, while dozens of random papers went flying and scattered all over the ground.

“Oh no!”

The stranger grabbed a few sheets of the papers before they flew away, then picked up the phone and handed it to Kairi. It was a young woman with short, black hair, probably right around her own age. She was wearing a dress to some sort of restaurant called “Cafe 15". The girl bowed her head. 

“I'm so sorry! I was in a hurry and I wasn't paying attention to what was in front of me…” she kneeled down and started picking up more of the loose papers. Kairi noticed that on the opposite side of the otherwise blank sheets was the word ‘Missing’. 

“...Were you distracted about something?” Kairi inquired.

The girl nodded absentmindedly, most of her focus on getting all the papers. She seemed stressed as her lips tightened into a thin line.

“It doesn't excuse me for bumping into you that hard. It's my fault.”

Kairi curved her mouth. She felt bad for the girl, who was clearly distressed about whatever was on the papers. Kairi knelt down beside her and picked up a small pile of the flyers. The girl turned her head towards Kairi in shock.

“To be fair, I was kinda in your way.” Kairi shrugged. “I shouldn't have searched my bag in the middle of the street. We're both at fault here. The least I can do is help you pick up all these papers.”

The girl lit up.

“Thank you, um…”

“Kairi.” she nodded and smiled warmly. 

“I'm Xion.” she smiled back, then shook Kairi’s hand. “It's nice to meet you.”

****

Once all the papers were collected, Kairi took a good look at them. They all had pictures of several dalmatian puppies that were missing. It made sense why Xion was in such a hurry now; there were more than she could count in the picture.

“Are they yours?”

Xion shook her head, brushing back a strand of her hair. “The puppies belong to the owners of the place I work for. _ Cafe 15. _ They named it after the number of dalmatians they have and the block it's on.

Kairi’s eyes widened.

“15, huh? That's quite a lot to deal with.”

“Yep.”

“How can they take care of so many?”

“That's one of the main reasons why they opened the cafe in the first place,” Xion explained. “To have enough money to feed them all. Any leftover revenue they have goes to local animal shelters or charities. My bosses are really nice people.”

“You must have a lot of customers wanting to pet those dogs.”

Xion nodded with a solemn expression. “We did. When the puppies were still around, crowds of people would come to play with them and eat. They were always impressed by how clean everything was, despite all the puppies running around. I always made sure it was with my coworkers. The food itself is pretty delicious, too. One critic who came by said the coffee was ‘to die for’. It's had a five-star rating ever since.”

“Impressive.” Kairi looked down at the flyer again. “...So, what happened to them?”

Xion sighed. “I don't know. I came to work one day and all the puppies were gone. Both my bosses and the parents of the puppies were devastated. I've been trying to help them search by using these flyers and asking around, but...nothing’s come up. It's like they vanished into thin air.”

She pressed the papers against her chest.

“...No one is willing to help in this city, either. We're losing business because of the missing puppies. A lot of my coworkers jumped ship when they saw the cafe beginning to fail. The customers stopped caring and won’t visit anymore. The few that do are disappointed by the two dalmatians left, who are too depressed to interact with other people. It's already been a whole week. Even the police can’t find them.”

“I don’t want to give up on the cafe. It’s a great place to work at. But if it goes down, I’ll be out of a job and I’ll have to leave. With so many places not accepting new hires lately, I don't know what else I can do...”

Kairi furrowed her brows. She really felt for the poor girl. It was hard for smaller businesses in this town to gain traction. Most of them wouldn’t last long if they didn’t play it smart. Which, sadly, was usually the case for restaurants built like this one. Focusing less on the profit and more on passion and helping others. It always broke her heart to see good places like that fall apart. 

...Fortunately, she now had the means to help these kinds of businesses stay afloat. She could even offer them protection. Maybe not in the most legal way, but it didn’t matter if the ones supporting the cafe meant well (and earned a bit of the profit). Criminals or not, the yakuza weren’t _ always _ that bad. It all depended on who was in charge. But how could she help with an abstract problem like this one? They didn’t need money, per se. They needed to bring in customers by getting those puppies back. 

_ ...Maybe...an abstract problem needs an abstract solution. I’d rather not tell her I’m yakuza yet, so I’ll do the next best thing. _

Kairi placed her hand on Xion’s shoulder.

“I’ll help you find them.”

Xion gasped. “Wait,_ you will?!? _”

“Yes.” Kairi had a determined expression on her face. “I know we’ve just met, but...you and your owners don’t deserve to lose that cafe. If no one else is willing to help you search, I’ll step up.”

Xion looked like she was about to cry. Instead, she took Kairi’s hands and shook them again.

“Thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to us. You're the first person that's actually wanted to help!”

“Don't thank me just yet…” Kairi smiled nervously. “We still need to find some clues. Why don't we start at the cafe itself?”

Xion nodded in agreement. “Of course! And don’t worry, I’ll pay for a meal if you want one. My treat. It’s the least I could do in return for your kindness.”

“Free food is always a good thing, so I’ll take up your offer.” Kairi gave her a thumbs up. 

“Let’s hurry, though. I’m_ starving.” _

****  


Kairi followed Xion down the street until they reached Theater Avenue, where a small building was tucked away at the bottom of a set of stairs. Surely enough, the name of the place was “Cafe 15”. Vibrant posters of puppies running through the restaurant were plastered all over the glass, with only one or two pictures of the food and drinks they actually served. Considering what she knew, this could easily be misunderstood as false advertisement. The puppies were missing, after all. No wonder some of the customers left in disappointment.

“How long have these puppy posters been up?” Kairi inquired.

Xion placed a hand on her chin. “...Ever since I started working here. Maybe even before that. Why?”

“It’s going to make you lose more customers than you already have.” Kairi shook her head. “If you want to stop them from leaving, take down the posters until you find the puppies. Showcase more of your food here in the meantime.”

Xion covered her mouth. “I didn’t even think about it that way....I’ll go and tell my bosses right now! Can you wait inside until I can get your order?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Okay!” Xion clapped her hands. “I’ll be right back. The menus are already on the tables, so feel free to look through them.”

Kairi waited as Xion swung the door open and ran inside. Kairi caught the door before it closed on her, then stepped into the cafe. The lights were dim, golden color to set a more relaxing mood for the night. She picked the first table she saw and sat down, then opened the menu to see what they had. Not too much variety, nor too little; it was perfectly balanced. Some of the meals looked especially enticing for her growing appetite.

As she read the menu, she picked up on the sound of a piano playing a soothing yet jazzy melody. She found herself humming to it a few times. Curious to see who was playing, she raised her head from the menu. It was a blonde-haired man, wearing a semi-formal dress shirt with matching dress pants. His eyes were closed as he smiled brightly, plunking away at the piano keys for the music he was so deeply engrossed in. Looking at the shape of his face, he didn’t seem to be Japanese. After a few minutes had passed, Xion appeared again from the back room with a young woman right beside her. They approached the musician, who stopped playing when they caught his attention. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it wasn’t like it was a mystery who Xion was talking about with such enthusiasm. They all turned their heads towards Kairi, who felt self-conscious for staring at them and ducked her head behind the menu. She hadn’t even picked anything to eat yet. 

For once, it was a_ good _thing that Riku and Sora weren’t around. They would definitely get on her case for eating this late rather than earlier. 

Kairi peeked past the menu one more time to see what the others were doing. Her eyes widened slightly as the musician and the other woman (whom she could only assume were the owners of the cafe) approached her table. Xion gave her another friendly smile.

“Are you ready to order?”

“Err…” Kairi skimmed over the menu again. 

“...I’ll have the chicken wings. Make it an order of 12.”

  
“What kind of sauce?” Xion pulled out a pen from behind her ear and jotted down the order on a notepad.

  
“Just ketchup is fine. I don’t want anything strong or spicy at this hour.”

“Perfect! I’ll be back with your order in a few minutes. The owners wanted to speak with you in the meantime.”

“Thank you, dear.” the woman patted Xion’s shoulder. “We’ll be with you and Nanny in a moment.”

Xion bowed politely, then headed into the kitchen. Kairi looked at the woman, noting that she was a foreigner as well. Her fair skin, strawberry blonde hair and blue-green eyes led Kairi to believe that she was either American or English. Considering the strange accent as she spoke in somewhat solid Japanese, it was most likely the latter. English people sounded more refined.

“Kairi, is it?” the woman reached out and politely shook her hand. 

“My name is Anita Dearly. The talented musician beside me is my husband, Roger.” she motioned towards the man, who grinned at her compliment. 

“So I hear that you’re willing to help us find the puppies, young lady?” Roger asked. 

“That’s right.” Kairi clasped her hands together on the table. “And I was wondering if you could give me a little more insight into the situation, too. Xion only knows so much. She wasn’t around the dalmatians at all times like you two were.”

“Yes, of course.” Anita nodded in agreement. “Xion and our chef, Nanny, have been a tremendous help. Bless their hearts. But perhaps some outside help aside from the police would improve our odds of finding the puppies. What would you like to know?”

“Let’s start with most important detail. When was the last time you saw the puppies?”

“Two weeks ago. Isn’t that right, dear?” she looked over at Roger.

“Yes, that’s exactly right.” He scrunched up her nose, looking up for a few seconds. “...It was a Friday night, I’m sure of it. I was taking Pongo out for walk. You were at the office working on a new piece for that ‘Summer Fun Collection’.”

“Summer Fun Collection?” Kairi tilted her head.

“Ah, what he means is a _ clothing _ collection,” Anita explained. “ You see, my main line of work is designing clothing. Roger was the one who came up with the idea for a cafe, as another way to support the dalmatians when we moved here. And to boost his music career, obviously.”

“Have the people listen to something fresh and entertaining while they eat, I say!” Roger waggled his index finger. “Did you enjoy what you heard, by the way?”

“Oh, absolutely.” Kairi smiled. “You’re very talented. Running a decent cafe to promote the music you play is pretty clever, I’ll admit.”

She looked around at the empty tables.

“...Doesn’t seem like it’s working right now, though.”

Roger and Anita sighed. 

“...I know how it looks. Like a bloody graveyard…” Roger rubbed his eyes. “And it was doing so well…”

“...But honestly, the thing I miss the most is the puppies. I enjoyed having those fellows scamper about...”

“They must be_ terrified, _ wherever they are. I feel especially bad for poor Pongo and Perdy...” Anita looked down sadly.

Kairi tried to say something reassuring, but was interrupted by the sound of the bell on the entrance ringing. The thin, lanky, yet smooth and refined silhouette of a woman holding a thin smoking pipe burst through the door.

“Anita, _ darling!” _

Mrs. Dearly placed a hand over her mouth. “It _ can’t _ be…!”

Roger frowned as the woman approached Anita, her red heels clacking against the marble floor. She took Anita’s hands and grinned at her.

“It’s so wonderful to see you again! How long has it been? A year? Two? _ Ten? _ It certainly feels that way.”

“It's only been a few months, Cruella. But it's nice to see you too.” Anita gave her a friendly smile.

“It took an awfully long time for my flight to get here, but it was worth it in the end.” she swished her black and white hair. “I reserved the most _ luxurious _ hotel in this city.”

“What are you doing here, by the way? I thought you were going to stay in London.”

“I know that I sent you here to expand our clothing line to Japan, but...I simply couldn’t stay away for long after I heard that the puppies were born! Congratulations, by the way.”

“Oh, um...thank you. But I should probably tell you that-”

“Oh pish-posh, dear. You can say what you need to say in a moment. Tell me first. Where are those precious, _ spotted _ creatures of yours?”

“Who is that woman?” Kairi leaned towards Roger, who was currently scowling at their newest guest.

“It’s Cruella. Cruella DeVil.” Roger grunted. “Anita works for her. _ Somehow _, they were also friends and schoolmates.”

“...Is there something wrong with her?”

Roger scoffed. “That’s an understatement. I’ve never met someone as eccentric and self-absorbed as her in my life.”

“Roger!” Cruella chimed, finally acknowledging his presence. “I suppose I _ should _say it’s nice to see you again.”

“Likewise.” Roger crossed his arms.

“Still hacking away at your piano as usual?”

“As a matter of fact, _ yes.” _ Roger huffed. “My music has been doing quite well, thank you very much.”

“Is that so?” Cruella looked around, tapping her pipe. The cigarette ashes fell to the ground.

.“It doesn’t seem like you have much of an audience today. What, were they all so bored with your performance that they_ left? _ I wouldn’t blame them!” she started cackling. 

“...No…” Roger gritted his teeth. “They left because our puppies went _ missing.” _

Cruella stopped laughing. “...Come again?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to _ tell _ you,” Anita said. “The police have been searching for our puppies. They were all mysteriously kidnapped in the middle of the night. The culprit hasn’t been caught yet and we’re dreadfully worried.”

“...I see.” Cruella swung the fur scarf around her neck. “How terrible for you both. And the mongrels that gave birth to them, I suppose.”

_ ...She doesn’t sound all that sympathetic. _ Kairi quirked an eyebrow. _ I wonder why. _

Cruella suddenly turned her attention to Kairi, catching her by surprise.

“And who is this? She’s been awfully quiet, staring at me. Does she not speak English?” 

“Err, well...I’m not quite sure.” Anita looked down.

“Can you understand me?!?” Cruella shouted in Kairi’s face. “English???”

“...I can _ hear _you just fine.” Kairi was already annoyed with her.

“Ah. So she _ can _speak English after all.” Cruella began smoking from her pipe. “I’m surprised you have at least one person willing to eat here.”

“She’s going to help us find the puppies, actually.” Roger puffed his chest slightly. “She a very sharp local, so we may be able to make some progress. She also agrees that our puppies are _ not _ for sale, and will stay right here once they’re found. Where they _ belong. _ How about _ that, _ Ms. DeVil?”

“Roger…” Anita placed her hand on his shoulder, pulling him back.

“Please don’t put words in my mouth, Mr. Dearly.” Kairi sighed. “...But you’re not entirely wrong.”

_ “Really, _now.” Cruella smirked. “Good luck with that. I don’t see how you’ll manage to find those puppies in such a crowded place. Even I got a little lost driving here.”

“I know every part of Kamurocho.” Kairi glared at her. “It won’t be any trouble for me.”

“Um, excuse me.”

Anita and Roger turned around and saw Xion, carrying a plate of piping hot chicken wings. One of the dalmatians had finally come out and was walking beside her, wagging his tail a bit.

“Pongo, old boy!” Roger kneeled down and rubbed his dog’s head. “Good to see you out and about again. How's Perdita?”

Pongo whined. Roger sighed and patted him on the side.

“I know. We'll find them, Pongo.”

“We’re terribly sorry, Xion.” Anita pulled Roger to the side as he stood back up. “Please, go ahead and give the young lady her order.”

Xion nodded and set the plate down on Kairi’s table, who quickly thanked her. Cruella lit up at the sight of the dalmatian beside the girl.

“Here, doggy!” Cruella cooed at Pongo, motioning for him to come closer with her index finger. Pongo started to growl, his fur bristling as he arched his back. Xion got in between them.

“Please be careful, ma’am. He might bite you. I've never seen him get aggressive towards a customer before…”

Cruella looked at Xion with disinterest, not understanding a word of what she said. She scrunched up her nose.

“What drab work attire. Is that how she dresses _ normally?” _

“Not everyone uses fur, Cruella.” Anita gave her a weary look.

“It's not even the lack of fur that's bothering me.” Cruella pointed at Xion with her pipe. “It's the lack of _ color. _ Nothing but black, white, and the dullest shade of cream I've ever seen. It doesn't even look that _ stylish _. Do her a favor and tell her to get a better wardrobe, Anita.” 

Anita winced, saying nothing else. Xion gave them all a confused look, then leaned towards Kairi.

“...What did she say?”

“Nothing important. Don't worry about it.” Kairi shook her head and kept eating her chicken wings.

Cruella pulled Anita aside, digging her thin, spindly fingers into the younger woman’s sleeve.

“Come now, darling. I’m willing to pay good money if you sell me those puppies once they’re found,” she hissed under her breath. “I’ll even help you keep this little cafe afloat if you do! You know I can afford it, and I know you need the help. Don’t waste your time with some rabble you picked off the street to assist you in a wild goose chase. Let the police do their work, and it’ll all come together nicely.”

Anita pulled away, appearing fed up with her old friend’s behavior.

“See here, Cruella. I’m willing to put up with a lot from you since I’ve known you for a very long time. And I am grateful to you for giving me a job in your company. But I will not stand idly by as you insult that nice young lady, insult my workers, and insult my own_ husband _ right in front of me.” she crossed her arms. 

“You are no longer in any position to bargain with us.” she approached Roger, who put his arm around her and nodded firmly.

“The puppies are not for sale. And they never will be.”

Cruella seethed at Anita’s words, squeezing her smoking pipe until it snapped right in half.

_ “Fine!” _ Cruella spat. “Keep the little beasts for all I care. Do as you like with them. _ Drown _them if you feel like it.”

“But I _ warn _ you, Anita.” Cruella jabbed her with the broken end of the pipe. “You may keep your shoddy, _ pathetic _ job for now, but you and I are _ through. _I’m through with all of you!” Cruella threw her hands up, storming towards the exit.

“I’ll get even! Just wait! You’ll be sorry! You...you _ fools! _ ** _YOU IDIOTS!!!”_ **

They all flinched as Cruella slammed the door shut behind her. The bell flew off the top of it, landing right at the couple’s feet. Anita sighed, rubbing her temple.

“...I'm sorry you had to see that, Kairi.”

“It's alright.” Kairi gave her an understanding look. “Seems that no matter which country you come from, there's always someone like Ms. DeVil. I've seen her type plenty of times.”

Xion rubbed her arm. “It looked like she meant business. What if she finds the puppies before us?”

“She won't.” Kairi stood up. “That woman knows nothing about Kamurocho. But we do. In that aspect, we already have an advantage. But it's too dark to search for the puppies right now.”

“So, what do we do?”

“We'll start searching tomorrow morning.” Kairi looked over at Roger, Anita, and Pongo. “Is that alright?”

“Of course.” Anita clasped her hands together. “We can't thank you enough for your help.”

Pongo cautiously approached Kairi and sniffed. His tail started to wag again. He panted excitedly as she patted his head. Xion smiled.

“Looks like he likes you too.”

“Dogs can sense good people when they see them, after all.” Roger chuckled.

Kairi nodded, albeit reluctantly. Pongo’s senses must've been off by a large margin if he thought she was even remotely good. What she did for a living didn't exactly make her a saint. Even now, she was lying to them about who she _ really _ was. 

...Perhaps the dog could see something she couldn't.

“Yeah. Let's go with that.” Kairi picked up her purse and headed for the exit.

Xion waved. “See you tomorrow!” 

“Right.” Kairi waved back without facing them.

****

A few minutes after she left, Kairi pulled out her phone and dialed Sora’s number. It only rang twice before he picked up.

“Hey Kairi! What's up?”

“I'm heading back to HQ for your status report. Then I'll head home. Did anything happen while I was gone?”

Sora cleared her throat. “Err...well...”

Kairi placed a hand on her hip. “What did you do _ this _time?”

“N-nothing!” Sora stammered. There was a small pause between his next words, as if he was thinking hard about something. Kairi raised an eyebrow.

“...Everything's fine! Really! You can come on back.”

“You're _ sure _nothing happened?”

“Positive! I've got nothing to hide.”

Kairi hummed, unconvinced by his statement.

“...Let's make your report quick. I have to get up earlier than usual tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“I'll tell you when I get there. See you soon.”

Kairi hung up and put the phone back in her purse. As she strolled down the dimly lit street, she swore she heard the faintest sound of a dog barking. It sounded young. Unable to make out where the sound was coming from, she continued down her path in dismay.

****

Meanwhile, in an abandoned warehouse not too far from where Kairi had been walking, a large group of puppies sat huddled in front of an old, box-shaped television. They were fully fixated on a TV show with their favorite hero, Thunderbolt, currently wiping the floor with the evil Dirty Dawson. Two of the puppies in particular were paying less attention than the others, however. One with a black patch on his right eye, and the other with a horseshoe pattern of spots on his back. They were much more concerned about the two men sitting on the couch behind them. 

“Oi, Horace.” the taller man nudged his short, stubby partner. “Change the channel, will ya? I can’t make out a word of what they’re sayin’.”

“Isn’t that because we’re in Japan, Jasper?” 

Jasper bonked him on the head with his fist in response.

_ “Shaddup _. No one asked for your opinion. Now change it and look for somethin’ better. I’m tired of seeing this stupid dog.”

Horace grumbled as he reached for the remote, rubbing the spot where Jasper had hit him. He grabbed it and switched the channel to one that was playing a game show. The contestants were running in inflatable body suits through what could only be some sort of gauntlet. Jasper started laughing as a balding man got slammed in the ribs by a rotating metal bar. Coated with something soft to prevent severe injury, of course.

“That’s much better! Keep it there!”

The puppies didn’t seem to agree with the two burglars. A couple of them turned around and started to bark at them, making it difficult to hear the television.

_ “Quiet, _you!!!” Jasper raised his empty beer bottle, waving it threateningly.

All it did was anger the puppies more, causing the rest to stand up in defiance. Not only was it impossible to hear the television now; the puppies were also blocking the view.

“I think you made it worse.” Horace grabbed a sandwich from the small, round table next to the couch, seemingly unbothered by all the noise. 

Jasper stood up, reeled back with his arm and flung the bottle at the puppies. They yelped in alarm and scattered before it could land. The glass shattered at the base of the TV, making Horace almost choke on his sandwich.

“Careful, Jasper! You almost hit the tele! It’d be rather boring waiting here without it.”

“Filthy little buggers…” Jasper plopped back down on the couch, letting out a disgruntled ‘harumph’. He glared at the puppies for a few seconds before turning his attention back to the television.

During his fit of rage, Jasper failed to notice that two of the puppies had slipped out of the crowd. The puppies in question were steadily sneaking their way towards a tiny hole in the wall.. They had to climb up shorter sets of furniture close by in order to reach it. The rest of the puppies that weren’t in front of the TV beforehand watched the duo curiously, remaining silent. Slowly yet steadily, the siblings hopped up onto a cabinet from the open drawer, then continued on from there. They stopped at a wider gap between yet another table and the wardrobe where the hole was. Delicate figurines and knick knacks made of porcelain, glass, and ceramic were on top of it, caked with dust. There was a small, empty spot that they could land on, but it was risky. One false step would send one of those fragile objects straight to the ground, alerting the robbers. 

If it was the only way they could escape and find help, it was a risk they would have to take. 

The pup with the eye patch went first, wiggling his rear a bit before finally going for the leap. He almost didn’t make it, but managed to climb back up with his front paws and back legs desperately scraping the edge until he had a grip. Tiptoeing his way around the knick knacks, he reached the edge of the hole. 

The second one jumped after getting a running start. He landed almost perfectly. Feeling quite confident from his show of skills, he strode pridefully towards his brother.

...Only to bump into a porcelain doll.

They watched helplessly as the doll’s face smashed into the floor, making a surprisingly loud noise. Jasper and Horace immediately spun their heads around.

“HEY!!!” Jasper scrambled towards the two escapees. When given the incentive, he was shockingly fast. Horace bumbled after him, dropping his sandwich on the ground. 

The pup that alerted them ran towards his brother, knocking over even more items. It did slow the burglars down for a few seconds, but not long enough.

“Horace!” Jasper grabbed the side of the wardrobe. “Help me knock this thing over!”

“R-right!” Horace rushed over to his partner’s side, then they began to push. The moment it started to tilt, The pup with the eye patch could already see his brother slipping.

“Get to the other side! One of ‘em’s coming down!”

Horace left Jasper to keep pushing and went around the wardrobe. He extended his arms towards the puppy that kept going downwards. His brother decided to let go of the edge of the hole to bring him back up. He bared his teeth as Horace grabbed onto the puppy’s hindlegs.

“Got ya!”

The pup with the eye patch lunged towards Horace and bit his hand, effectively releasing his brother.

“YOW!!!” Horace reeled backwards, taking the brave puppy with him. The brother climbed back up, looking at the other in shock. Through gritted teeth, the pup with the eyepatch let out a loud yip.

_ “GO!” _

The puppy did as it was told, clambering up as much as he could before the wardrobe fell over. With one final leap, he made it to the hole and squeezed his way out. Horace swung his arm frantically until the other pup lost its grip and went flying. He only felt relief for a brief moment, before the wardrobe came crashing down on him. He saw nothing but stars as his head poked out of the dismantled wood. Jasper approached and smacked him on the head.

“You bloody moron! You let one get away!!!”

“Mmm….sammish….pubby...” Horace mumbled. He blacked out moments after. Jasper rubbed his temple in frustration.

“...Maybe she won’t notice?”

Jasper stifled a scream as he heard a rough knock on the door. It creaked from the excessive force. He creeped towards the door and placed his ear against it.

“...Who is it?”

_ “LET ME IN, YOU EMPTY-HEADED BUFFOON!!!” _

Jasper leaned back. He picked at his ear, which was ringing from her screaming. With a faint _ click, _he unlocked the door. It swung open instantly, smacking him in the face.

“Oi, madam! You best be more gentle with us!”

Cruella slapped him across the face. She marched towards Horace and did the same, waking him up.

“You_ imbeciles!” _ Cruella stomped her foot. “You were supposed to wait until I reached this blasted city to do the job! I _ never _ should have paid for that cheap plane to bring you here before me.”

“I still remember the chickens. Those beady, hate-filled eyes…” Jasper shuddered.

“We was looking for an opening to snag ‘em, miss!” Horace began attempting to pull himself out of the debris. “Last Friday was the best day to do it! The owners were out taking the bigger ones on a walk.”

Cruella rubbed her eyes.

“...No matter. What’s done is done. But if the police catch you two, which they most likely _ will. _ ..consider yourselves abandoned.”   
  


“Now see here!” Jasper protested. “We can easily quit this operation! You’ll have to deal with the puppies all by yourself!”

“Then you won’t get a single shilling out of me.” Cruella crossed her arms. “I could easily call the police on you fools if you dared to leave. I’d like to see how well you’d fare with no money in a foreign country. If you ever manage to escape jail, that is.”

“You’re gonna blackmail us, too???”

“I do what I must for my furs.” Cruella fluffed the coat she was wearing, a dreamy look in her eyes. 

“I live for furs. I _ worship _ furs. Life would be meaningless without them. But to live without my spotted fur coat? THAT is a true crime within itself. A crime against _ fashion! _ Mere plebians such as yourselves wouldn’t understand the importance, the _ magnitude _of something as beautiful as those spots...”

Jasper glanced at Horace, whistling as he spun his finger next to his head. Cruella narrowed her eyes at them, causing them both to cough nervously.

“...So, uh...what’s the plan now, then?” Horace asked.

“We continue as planned.” Cruella started pacing around the warehouse. “Tomorrow at midnight, I want those puppies skinned. Dead, preferably. They won’t wriggle that way.”

“And how do you propose we finish ‘em off?” Jasper scratched his head. “You never said anything about that.”

“However you like!” Cruella rolled her eyes. “Poison them. Drown them. Bash them on the head. I don’t care how you kill the little beasts, just do it and do it when I say so!!!”

Cruella turned her head towards the puppies closest to the TV. They were all huddled around one in particular that seemed to be sleeping. She knew they were Anita’s puppies; they were the only ones with collars. The other 84 were ones she’d bought herself. 

_ How about that, Anita? _ Cruella sneered. _ You refused my kind offer, so in return I’ll be wearing your dogs. _

Her smile faded the longer she stared at the puppies. She glanced over at the two burglars, who gulped.

“...Jasper. Horace. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it appears that we’re one puppy short.”

Jasper shoved Horace forward. 

“Don’t be shy, Horace. Tell the missus yerself.”

“W-well, you see…” Horace pulled off his hat, sweating nervously. “It’s quite a funny story, actually.”

_ “Go on...” _ Cruella tapped her foot impatiently.

Horace looked back at Jasper, who shook his head.

“Not bailing you out of this one, mate.”

Horace sighed in defeat. “...One of ‘em got away. Slipped right out of that hole up there.” he pointed at the crack in the wall.

“Ended up crushed underneath that wardrobe, I did. But I stopped the second pup from leaving! That’s gotta count for something, right?”

Cruella smiled sweetly. “Of course it does, you cheeky little man!” she giggled. “How absolutely _ brilliant _ of you to capture one and not the other!”

“Wait, really?”

“OF COURSE NOT, YOU NITWIT!” Cruella grabbed him by the shirt, shaking him violently. “You two had _ one job _and you messed it all up! One false move and the police will be right on our tail!!!”

“And to add insult to injury, you lost one of the precious pieces to my coat!_ I NEED _ ** _ALL_ ** _ OF THE PUPPIES, HORACE!!!” _ Cruella pushed him away. 

“I don’t care if it takes you all night!” Cruella’s nostrils flared as she headed towards the door. “You’re going to bring that animal back here, and I want a call right after you do it!”

“But Ms. Cruella! How are we supposed to skin the puppies if we’re half awake?” Jasper scowled. “We’ll make a mess of ‘em that way!”

“I'll assemble a team to assist you, then. I've got more workers in this country. They won't think twice about objecting, lest they want to be _ fired.” _ Cruella opened the door, looking back at Jasper and Horace. 

“I will accept nothing less than_ perfection. _ Find that puppy, or _ else!” _

Jasper and Horace rubbed their heads as Cruella slammed the door on them. Jasper started to grumble once she left.

“A fine mess. That’s what this all is…”

****

The next morning, Kairi stepped outside of the clan headquarters. Sora, who’d been tagging along with her, stopped at the entrance.

“You sure you don’t want my help?” Sora tilted his head. “What if that angry lady you mentioned shows up again? It could be dangerous.”

“I’ll be fine. I can handle it myself.” Kairi smiled at him. “Besides, I’ve been itching to do a solo mission for a while now. Might as well before I become the real boss, right?”

“If by ‘mission’ you mean ‘looking for missing puppies’...then yeah. I get it. Sort of.”

“I know it’s a little unconventional, but who knows? It might be fun.” Kairi shrugged. “Maybe once this is all over, we could earn a new property out of it.”

“I dunno…” Sora crossed his arms. “You’re really gonna tell them that you’re yakuza?”

“I wouldn’t go that far. I’ll tell them I’m in real estate or something.”

“So you’re going to lie to them.”

Kairi looked down. “...I don’t know yet. You’re not much better, you know. You did something last night while I was gone, didn’t you? Something I wouldn’t approve of?”

“No!” Sora bit his lip. “...Maybe.”

“Let’s leave it until I get back to see what you did. Hopefully you’ll _ un _do it before then.”

“Haha, yeah….” Sora grinned nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

“See you tonight.” Kairi winked at him, then left the building.

She made her way back to the restaurant with little trouble, still debating whether or not to obtain the small piece of property.

_ It would be a benefit to Roger and Anita just as much as it would be to the clan...right? _

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. She turned around to see Xion running towards her, carrying something in her arms.

“Kairi!” Xion waved one of her hands, holding whatever it was in her other arm more tightly. She squinted her as as Xion got closer and closer. 

She gasped once she made out what it was. Xion skidded to a halt, gasping for air as she bent over slightly.

“You found one of the puppies!” Kairi stared at the small creature in Xion’s arms. It was a little dirty and its eyes were shut. It seemed to be tired.

“Where did you find it?”

“On...Pink Street.” Xion stood up straight, finally catching her breath. “I was getting some breakfast there when I saw Lucky. He ran into the back of an alley. He was scared. He calmed down when he recognized me.”

“Lucky?” Kairi raised an eyebrow.

“That's his name.” Xion smiled nervously. “I...memorized all of them, actually. Is that weird?”

“Not at all.” Kairi shook her head. If you were around the puppies all the time, it’s only natural that you would remember. It’s interesting that you can tell them apart so easily. I definitely can’t.”

“You can tell this is Lucky from the horseshoe on his back. And his collar, of course.” 

“Huh. You're right. He's pretty cute. He looks like he needs some food and water, though. And a bath.” Kairi placed a hand on her chin.

“...I think it's safe to assume that the puppies might be hidden someplace close to Pink Street. Not a very clean place, either.”

“That’s terrible...!” Xion looked down sadly at Lucky. “We have to find them as soon as possible. We can’t let them stay there!”

“Is there anything else you might have noticed when you found him?”

“Now that you mention it…” Xion’s eyebrows creased. “It felt like someone was following me down that street. Not sure where they are now, but…”

Xion and Kairi turned their heads when they heard people approaching. Large, foreign men in suits were sauntering towards the two girls. They stopped inches away, towering above them.

“You two.” They pointed at Lucky. “Give us the dog.”

Xion turned her arms to the side, making Lucky face away from the intimidating men. Kairi grimaced.

“What will you do if we don’t?”

“Things will have to get ugly.” one of the men cracked his knuckles. “We don’t care if you’re kids _ and _women.”

“How barbaric! You ruffians should be ashamed of yourselves!”

Xion and Kairi turned their heads to see an elderly woman holding the restaurant door open. Judging from the outfit and apron she was wearing, Kairi realized it was the one person she hadn’t been introduced to yet.

“Nanny!” Xion exclaimed.

“Hurry inside, dear!” Nanny motioned with her hand. “Don’t let them catch you!”

There was a brief moment of tense silence between them all. Xion broke it by immediately sprinting towards the entrance. 

“HEY!!!” the man who’d spoken earlier chased after her, but was blocked by Kairi in his path. She spread out her arms. 

“Kairi? What are you doing?!?”

Kairi looked back at the two ladies. “Buying you time! Go inside and lock the door. Don’t come back out until it gets quiet. Look after Lucky.”

Xion shook her head. “You can’t take them on by _ yourself!” _

“I’ll be fine. Just go! Stop hesitating!”

Xion winced as Nanny pulled her inside, locking the door right after. They headed to the kitchen. Kairi turned her head back around to the men, who glowered at her.

_ “You’re gonna regret that, kid.” _

Kairi casually stretched her arms and cracked her neck. She then got into her fighting stance.

“We’ll see about that.”

The first man lumbered towards her, throwing his full weight at her. She dodged with ease since he was much slower than her. She kicked him in the back, sending him to the ground. The second threat caught her by surprise, grabbing her from behind. She breathed in sharply as he started to squeeze, most likely trying to dislocate her shoulders. She retaliated by digging the heel of her boot through his shoe, followed by a sickening _ crunch. _The man screamed in agony at his now broken foot. Seizing the opportunity, she freed herself from his grip entirely by driving the back of her head into his face. He stumbled backwards, covering his bloodied nose as he tripped on the sidewalk and fell. The third swung for her face, but she caught his fist before it could land. With an incredible show of strength, She grabbed the rest of his arm, twisted it, then flipped him right over herself. His body hit the ground, knocking the wind out of his lungs. 

Kairi dusted off her sleeves then placed her hands on her hips. Her first attacker got up shakily, saw what she’d done to his comrades, then made a run for it. Kairi bent down towards the third man and yanked him up by the front of his coat.

_ “Who sent you?” _

The man coughed, clutching his chest. “I’ll never talk…”

He passed out a few seconds later. Kairi dug into his jacket for some sort of evidence. She ended up pulled out a business card with a very familiar name on it.

“Just as I thought.” Kairi threw the man to the floor again and got back up. She rubbed her left shoulder.

“Looks like I’m a little rusty. I should’ve seen an attack like that coming...”

She heard the bell chime of the cafe door as it opened. Kairi turned around, blinking with an oddly innocent expression. She waved at the women staring at her in complete and utter bewilderment.

“Good heavens…” Nanny placed a hand over her mouth. Xion crossed her arms.

“I stand corrected.”

****

The three women watched as Perdita nuzzled Lucky, now bathed and well-fed. Pongo sat next to them, his ears perked. He was wary of any suspicious sounds near the entrance. Nanny sighed as she set two cups of hot cocoa in front of the girls.

“Drink up, dears.” Nanny smiled warmly. “It’s the least I could do after you saved this poor little pup.”

“Thank you.” Xion picked up her cup and started blowing at it, while Kairi simply left hers alone. She seemed to be deep in thought.

“...Kairi? What’s the matter?” Xion asked. “Aren’t you going to drink that?”

“In a minute.” Kairi pulled out the card from her pocket. 

“Here. I think you should both read this. I found it off one of those men.”

Xion took the card to inspect it more closely. Nanny read it above her shoulder. Both their eyes widened once they realized why it was so familiar.

“House Of DeVil…” Nanny gasped. _ “Cruella _ DeVil! Roger was right all along!”

“He suspected her too?” Kairi quirked her eyebrows.

“Of course he did! He can’t stand that woman and her vulgar personality. I honestly cannot blame him for it, either. But neither I nor Anita wanted to assume the worst of her. I feel quite bad for not believing him now…”

“So Cruella sent those men to take Lucky away again?” Xion looked down.

Kairi nodded. “It seems so. They must have been guards of some sort for her company. That, or some extra muscle she hired exclusively for this.”

“She _ does _have the money for it…” Nanny muttered under her breath. 

“What if she’s planning to send more of them?” Xion gave Kairi a worried look. “We won’t be safe here.”

Kairi turned towards the elderly chef.

“Nanny. Where are Roger and Anita right now?”

“At the police station. They wanted to check in for any more leads about the puppies’ whereabouts.”

“Call them and tell them what we’ve discovered.” Kairi looked at the entrance. “...Keep that door locked. Don’t let anyone come inside unless it’s them or the police.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to go investigate Pink Street. And hopefully, I’ll find where Cruella is keeping the puppies.”

“Wait!” Xion set her cup down. “Take me with you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely! If we’re going to help 14 puppies escape from a woman like her, we’ll have better chances as a team. I want to save them!”

Xion jumped a little as she heard Pongo bark loudly. He got up and nudged her hand with his hand. Perdita joined him, much to everyone’s surprise. Even Lucky slipped out of the dog bed he was resting in and ambled towards his parents. Xion laughed a little.

“Well. Looks like it might be more than just us.”

Kairi kneeled down to face the dogs. She looked over at Lucky and stretched her hand to him. He sniffed her fingers.

“You sure you’re feeling up to it? You could just tell your parents where we have to go.”

Lucky yipped and licked her hand. He bent his legs, wagging his tail furiously and baring his teeth. He looked ready for a fight. Kairi giggled.

“Guess that means you won’t take no for an answer.”

Kairi stood up straight. She glanced at Xion, who nodded firmly.

“Okay. Let’s move.”

****

Xion and Kairi put leashes on the three dalmatians, then headed out through the back. They let Pongo and Perdita take the lead with Lucky in between them. The parents would wait for him to sniff something and listened when he started barking for which direction to take. 

But eventually, he ended up getting stuck. He whimpered as he scanned the crowded street, overwhelmed by the multiple odors of food, taxis, and smoke from buildings or the cigarettes of people. None of that had been an issue last night.

“Looks like he can’t figure it out.” Kairi lips tightened into a thin line. “Is this where our trail ends…?”

“Not just yet.” Xion extended her hand towards Kairi. “Can I have that business card from before?”

Kairi handed it over without protest. Xion bent down towards the two adult dalmatians.

“Pongo. Perdy. I need you to figure out where the man got this card from. Can you do that?”

The two dogs nodded. They took turns sniffing the card thoroughly, then raised their heads to see if they could pick out where it came from. 

“Kairi, help me take off the leashes. We’ll go after them when they start running.”

“Right.”

The girls took the leashes off, then waited. It caught them by surprise when Pongo started barking and sprinted away without them. Perdy picked up Lucky by his collar and followed him, along with Kairi and Xion. When they reached Pongo, he was standing in front of an old building. In was nestled deep into an alley, barely noticeable with its dull, exterior colors. And yet, they could hear strange noises coming from the inside. There was most likely more than one or two people in there.

Xion grabbed the doorknob and tried turning it, but it was locked. She took a step back as a tiny hole in the center of the door slid open. A pair of black eyes glared back at her.

“What’s the password?”

“Uh…”

“Forget it. You don’t look like you work for DeVil. Leave this place at once.”

Before she could properly reply, the hole closed. Kairi placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Let me handle this.” she started taking off her jacket, much to Xion’s confusion. She placed her index finger over her lips, then turned back towards the entrance.

Instead of trying to open the door, she knocked boldly. The man slid open the peephole again.

“I said _ leave.” _

“Is that any way to treat a coworker?” Kairi swished her hair.

“Kairi…” Xion whispered. “What are you doing?”

“Just play along!” she mumbled back, then turned her attention back to the guard. He narrowed his eyes.

“...Where’s your _ proof?” _

Kairi showed the man the business card.

“Is this good enough? We’re models. Cruella hired last minute for her fashion show. The ‘Summer Fun Collection’, right?”

“WE’RE_ WHAT?!?” _ Xion covered her mouth instantly after blurting that out. 

“Don’t mind her. She’s new to all this.” Kairi eyed her pleadingly. “When she’s _ nervous, _ she _ forgets _things.”

“U-um…” Xion twiddled her fingers. “R...right! That’s me! I’m really scatterbrained all the time! I even forgot why we were here! What’s my name again?”

_ You’re overdoing it… _Kairi pressed the crook of her nose.

“Say I actually believe you two girls.” The man raised an eyebrow. “Can you _ actually _ strike a pose? One that looks _ professional? _ Do that, and I _ may _let you come inside.”

“Could you excuse us for a minute?” Xion smiled nervously at the man as she pulled Kairi away from the door. Pongo, Perdy, and Lucky tilted their heads curiously at them.

“I am NOT posing!” Xion hissed. “There has to be a better way!”

“Alright. Do_ you _ have an idea?”

Xion lightly scratched her cheek. “N...no…”

“Then we have to stick with this plan.” Kairi patted her shoulder. 

“Trust me. I don’t want to do this either. But we can’t risk leaving those puppies in Cruella’s hands for any longer.”

“...You’re right.” Xion slapped her cheeks and huffed. “Okay! Let’s do this!”

“I’ll go first. Just follow my lead.” Kairi went back to the door.

“I’m ready.”

“Let’s see how impressive you two truly are.” the man scoffed._ “Do not disappoint me!” _

Kairi nodded. She took a deep breath, spun around, the strutted away from the door. When she turned around and reached the spot where she’d started from, she threw her hair upwards. It landed on her shoulder as she jutted out her right leg, placed one hand on her hip, then used the other to dramatically place it over her face.Her piercing gaze bore straight into the man’s catching him off-guard.

“Such elegance! Such _ ferocity! _There’s a powerful, blinding aura radiating from this young woman…! The light from her...it’s more than I can bear!”

The man cleared his throat, regaining his composure.

“...You’ve impressed me. But can your partner do the same?”

Kairi dropped the pose, then looked at Xion. She seemed anxious.

“That was amazing, Kairi. I don’t think I can do something nearly that good. I’m no model...”

“You can do it, Xion.” Kairi gave her a thumbs up. 

“Do it for them!” She pointed at the dalmatians. “We all believe in you!”

“!!!” Xion clasped her hands together. 

_ They’re counting on me. Even if it looks like hot garbage, I...I have to try! _

Kairi let Xion walk past her to face the door. She bowed politely at the man, then began her strut down the imaginary runway. Her legs were shaking, but she hoped it wasn’t noticeable.

_ You can do this. You can do this. No one is watching except Kairi and that guy. And...the dalmatians. _

She squeezed her eyes shut, blushing in embarrassment. 

_ I’m so glad that neither Roxas or Lea are here… _

Xion took a couple of deep breaths before turning back around, then continued. She managed to stop blushing. Kairi bit her nails anxiously, awaiting for Xion’s final stop to strike the pose.

Xion did a little spin before crossing her legs, placing one hand on her hip, then using her other hand to place her chin under the crook of her thumb and index finger. She added a little extra flair by winking, then finishing it off with a (unfortunate) kiss. 

She held the pose for several minutes, waiting for the man’s final verdict. Kairi slowly started to clap.

“That was...without a doubt...the cutest pose I’ve seen yet!!!” the man clenched his fist. “The spin! The wink and the kiss! I had my suspicions at first from your unsteady strutting, but you stuck the landing at the end with delightful finesse! If this was your first time, I applaud you!” the man clapped aggressively.

“Bravo, bravo!” the man quickly unlocked the door, revealing his rather lanky physique. He bowed with one arm across his chest. “You may _ enter.” _

Xion smiled at him. “Thank you, Mr…um…” 

_ “Lars!” _ He shot back up, delicately placing a pair of red sunglasses over his eyes. “At your service. I am the art director of the fashion show, as well as a fashion consultant. Welcome to House of DeVil!” 

He leaned towards her. “...The Japanese branch, at least. Not as glamorous as the one set in London. But to be honest with you, I enjoy the less snobby and refined atmosphere.”

Kairi and Xion stepped inside. Xion whistled, signaling the dalmatians to come in as well.

“AH!” Lars placed his hands on either sides of his face. “What precious little doggies!”

“We heard that Cruella likes them, so we decided to bring them along.” Xion gritted her teeth, hating that that had to be the lie she went with.

“That’s true. She does love spotted things. Perhaps a bit_ too _ much…” Lars tugged at his collar of his black turtleneck.

“Sadly, it appears that my previous artworks of spots were...unable to capture their essence for Cruella.” Lars sighed. “But perhaps seeing these doggies will ease her tortured soul.”

“Right…” Xion rubbed her arms uncomfortably.

“We’d better hurry.” Kairi nudged Xion. “We can’t be late to our_ practice _, after all.”

“But of course!” Lars nodded enthusiastically. “Just head down the hallway to the left, take a right, take_ another _ left, ignore that strange door that leads to the basement, believe me I’ve tried to open it before and it won’t budge, and finally...the door to the rehearsal will be to your immediate right. There’s a star on it. See you girls onstage!”

“Bye!” Xion waved as Lars left. She then turned towards Kairi.

“...How did you know that was going to work?”

“I didn't.” Kairi grinned.

Once Lars was out of sight, they exchanged a nod. They let Pongo, Perdita, and Lucky lead the way yet again. It seemed they no longer needed to smell any items to pick up the scent of their puppies.

“They have to be here.” Xion bit her lip. “We’re so close…!”

“Afternoon, ladies.”

Xion and Kairi both gasped as they were suddenly pinned to the wall by some guards. They watched in horror as Pongo, Perdy, and Lucky were thrown into a large sack. They could hear the familiar clacking of Cruella’s heels approaching, as well as the stench of her cigarette smoke. She stopped in between her two goons with a smug expression.

“Well, well. What have we here? A couple of _ rats _attempting to ruin the show?”

“You won’t get away with this!” Xion shouted.

“I still can’t understand your empty threats, little girl. _ Try again.” _ she sneered.

“You won’t feel so confident for long.” Kairi wriggled her arms with little success. “We contacted the police about this. They’ll be right on top of you soon enough.”

“Is that so?” Cruella spun her new smoking pipe. “In that case, I’ll have to rearrange my schedule. Jasper! Horace!”

“You don’t have to yell, ma’am. We’re _ right _ here. _ ” _ Jasper frowned.

“Change of plans. Take those dalmatians in the bag and toss them in with the others. I want them to be skinned before sunset.”

“NO!” Xion tried to pull back, but the guard pressed the side of her face against the wall. 

Cruella looked over at Kairi and Xion with disinterest.

“...While you’re at it, take the girls to the basement as well. No one can hear them cry for help down there.”

_ “Move.” _ The guards shoved the girls down the hall. Jasper and Horace carried the dalmatians, who whimpered and growled inside the bag. Cruella took another drag from her pipe and blew out some green smoke. She let out a sinister cackle.

“I _ love _ it when things go my way!”

**** 

Several minutes later, Kairi and Xion found themselves tied up in the center of an old, dusty room with outdated furniture. Jasper and Horace cautiously set down the bag. 

“Easy does it…” Jasper stuck out his tongue as he quickly undid the knot. He heard a growl.

“Let’s get outta here!!!” Horace grabbed his hat as his frantically bolted up the stairs. Jasper bit back a scream as Pongo’s head popped out. He almost closed his jaws on the tall man’s rear as they both escaped. 

Pongo shook his whole body as he slipped out of the bag. He then lifted up the top flap for Perdita and Lucky to come out. Perdita nuzzled her mate, then let out a small cry as she saw the rest of her puppies. They all barreled into the trio, yipping excitedly at the sight of their parents and missing sibling. Kairi observed them with a tiny smile on her face. It faded when she heard Xion sigh.

“...I can’t believe I let this happen.” she shut her eyes. “They’re together now, but they’re going to die…”

“Don’t talk like that.” Kairi glanced over at her. “We’ll make it out. You’ll see.”

“But how?” Xion inquired. “Even if we get out of this rope, the basement door is locked from the outside. We can’t escape without the key.”

“You remember what Cruella said before? Those two guys she hired have to finish this job before sunset. They should be coming back here soon. Which means...they probably have a key to the door.”

“I guess that’s a good point. But how do we take it from them?”

Kairi smirked. “I think I have an idea.”

****

“...And make sure you do it _ right _this time! Remember what will happen if you disappoint me.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jasper waved his hand dismissively. “Don't get your knickers in a twist.”

Cruella slammed the door behind Jasper and Horace. Jasper put the key in his pocket.

“Lousy old witch…”

The two men trudged down the stairs. They noticed that Kairi and Xion were still struggling as they reached the bottom.

“Oi, whatsa matter?” Jasper chuckled. “Thinkin’ you ladies’ll get any looser by doing that?”

“They'd want us to give up, wouldn't they?” Xion’s brows furrowed.

Kairi nodded. “Yeah. They would.”

“Wait a minute...that girl speaks _ English?!?” _ Horace said, genuinely surprised.

“Sounded pretty solid, too.” Jasper raised an eyebrow. “Say, you. The ginger one. What did your little friend say just now?”

“You really want to know?” 

Jasper and Horace leaned forward, slightly curious. Kairi cleared her throat.

“I'll tell you...if you set us free.”

Horace scoffed. “Let you go? Just like that? Do ya really think we're that stupid?”

“On the contrary.” Kairi smiled sweetly. “You two seem pretty smart to me. _ Way _ too smart to work for the likes of Cruella.” 

“...What are you playin’ at, girlie?” Jasper rubbed his chin.

“I'm saying that if you release us, I can give you a much larger reward than anything she could give you.” 

“Is that so?” Jasper crossed his arms. “How much are ya willing to pay us?”

“As much money as your hearts desire.” Kairi winked. “Maybe I'll throw in something a little...extra for your help.”

Jasper took a step back in shock while Horace’s face turned red. Xion gawked at her in disbelief.

He shook his head. “...Right, then. Horace, help me untie ‘em.”

“But Cruella said-”

“NOW!” Jasper punched him in the arm. 

“Alright, alright! Yeesh…” 

Jasper and Horace released the girls. Xion rubbed her wrists as Kairi walked past her. She couldn't help but gag as the men pulled off their hats.”

“S-so...what were you gonna give us?” 

“How about…” Kairi tapped her lips. “...A kiss?”

“Blimey…!” Jasper started to sweat while Horace covered his mouth with his hat.

“Close your eyes.”

They shut their eyes and leaned forward, puckering up. Xion looked away.

_ ...I can't watch. _

She suddenly heard something heavy hit the ground. Xion turned back around to find the crooks lying on the ground, unconscious. There were large bruises on their cheeks, and their mouths were swollen.

“...Oh. I really thought you were going to kiss them.”

“I did give them a kiss.” Kairi put her arm down. “With my fist.”

“...You scare me sometimes, Kairi.”

Xion noticed the key on Jasper’s belt. She kneeled down and yanked it off. 

“Got it. Now we can leave with the...dalmatians…”

Kairi saw Xion staring forward with a stunned expression. She pointed at the dalmatians.

“What? What is it?” Kairi turned her head in the same direction. Her eyes widened.

They finally noticed that there were far more than the 15 missing puppies in the room. Hordes of them were strewn across the floor and the furniture. They all had their eyes on the girls.

“...Okay.” Kairi put her hands over her mouth. “This is going to be harder than I thought.”

****

Jasper’s eyes snapped open. He heard Horace snoring behind him. He tried lifting his arm to hit him, but realized that he couldn’t. He looked down, realizing that he was tied up.

“Comfortable?”

Jasper made eye contact with Kairi and Xion. He grinded his teeth in frustration.

“When I get outta here, I’m gonna-!” Jasper paused as he heard Pongo and Perdita growl. They were baring their teeth at the men.

“I wouldn’t try anything if I were you.” Kairi crossed her arms. “They’d love to tear you apart for stealing their puppies. And I’ll let them..._ if _ you don’t cooperate.”

“O-okay, fine!” Jasper’s voice raised a bit. “What do you want from us?”

“A form of transportation,” Kairi replied. “We need something big. A truck, preferably.”

“For what?”

“For the puppies, obviously. We’re taking them_ all _ with us.”

Jasper smirked. “Too bad, princess. We ain’t got anything like that. Looks like you’ll have to settle and leave ‘em with us.”

Kairi tutted. “You’re a terrible liar. Xion?”

Xion whistled again, this time signaling for Pongo and Perdy to attack. They creeped their way towards the men.

“C...call ‘em off.” Jasper raised his legs as Pongo snapped his jaws. “Call ‘em off!”

“Still waiting for an answer.” Kairi tapped her fingers against her arm.

Jasper began sweating profusely as the dalmatians inched their way closer. His teeth clattered in fear.

“IN THE GARAGE! THERE’S ONE IN THE GARAGE!”

Kairi nodded at Xion. 

“Pongo, Perdy! Heel!” she commanded. The dalmatians stopped and left the men alone. Jasper let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you for your cooperation.” Kairi smiled at them. “Where’s the garage?”

“Straight down the hall. There’s an exit that says ‘Employees Only’. You can’t miss it!”

“Xion, let’s go.” Kairi grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the exit. Pongo and Perdita howled, making all the puppies stand up and join them from behind in a crowded line.

“Wait! You’re just gonna leave us here?!?” Jasper exclaimed.

Kairi shrugged. “That’s what you were gonna do to us. Bye!”

Xion went past Kairi, pulling the key out of her pocket. She cracked open the door and took a peek outside.

“Well? What do you see?”

“Regular workers. There’s security guards everywhere, too. One’s right in front of me.”

“Then we can’t do this quietly.” Kairi gave her a serious look. “We’ll have to fight our way to the exit. You okay with that?”

“Not like we have another choice…” Xion closed her eyes for a moment.

“...I guess...I could think of it as training.”

“Training?” Kairi tilted her head.

“Stand back.” Xion stood up straight, keeping her eyes shut. Kairi took a few steps back, ushering the dalmatians to do the same.

Xion’s eyes opened abruptly, then she kicked the door with excessive force. It unhinged and slammed into the guard that was on the other side, effectively knocking him out.

_ “Now _ we can leave.” Xion charged outside of the basement and punched another oncoming guard. 

“Let’s go!” Kairi waved her hand at Pongo and Perdy, who barked and began sprinting down the hall with puppies in tow. The girls deflected any of the security’s attempts to kidnap any of the dogs by taking them down. 

“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” Kairi said, impressed by how fluid Xion’s fighting style was. It was much less abrasive than hers.

“I could say the same.” Xion kicked another guard in neck, sending him to the ground. “I’ve been practicing martial arts for a long time, in case I ever needed it. What about you?”

“Learned from my dad. He’s a pretty good teacher.” Kairi punched a man that tried sneaking up behind her.

“We’re reaching the exit! Get ready!”

“I’ll go on ahead!” Xion sprinted to the door and pushed it open. She held it with one hand, using the rest of her body to keep oncoming threats at bay.

“Hurry! Before more guards try to stop us!”

“It’s a_ lot _ of puppies, Xion!”

“Then start picking them up! That’s what Pongo and Perdy are doing!”

Surely enough, the two parents had started grabbing the pups by their collars or scruffs, running out to the garage, then going back in to pick up more. Kairi grabbed a small bundle of them and joined Pongo and Perdy to see where they were putting them. It appeared that they’d opened the back of the truck. It had just enough room for all the puppies to fit inside...hopefully. If there wasn’t, they would simply have to remove what was already in it (which were mostly boxes and crates). Kairi began repeating her process of picking up as many dalmatians as she could carry, then leaving them where Pongo and Perdy were.

“You’re doing great! We’re almost there!” Xion scanned the puppies that were still frantically running to the garage. Her eyes widened when she noticed a few models chatting as they approached. She swore she could make out Cruella’s split hair color passing by from further back. 

“She’s going to see us…!” 

Xion looked around for something to hold the door open. Her eyes landed on a headless mannequin meant for dresses. She let go of the door for a moment, ran over to the mannequin, then picked it up and propped it against the exit. She then started to help Kairi take the puppies to the truck, speeding up the process. By the time Cruella turned her head towards the rest of the crowd, the exit to the garage closed. 

“Strange…” Cruella raised an eyebrow. “No one usually goes out there at this hour.”

She casually walked to the basement door, but nearly dropped her pipe when she saw her security on the floor. The door was completely off as well, leaving it wide open for anyone to go inside. Cruella quickly made her way down the stairs and was met with the most unpleasant sight: the burglars she hired tied up where the two brats used to be, and a _ completely empty _ room.

“My...my precious...spots….” Cruella placed a hand on her chest. Jasper and Horace immediately got over their humiliating defeat and clamped their mouths shut.

_ Maybe if we’re quiet, she’ll just ignore us! _

Unfortunately, that was not the case. The devil woman craned her neck towards the two culprits.

“Where. _ Are they.” _ Cruella’s voice shook with barely restrained rage. 

“W-well, you see m-madam…” Horace stumbled on his words. “We was fine for a spell, b-but those ladies messed with our heads! It wasn’t out fault! They even took the truck with ‘em...”

Cruella pulled out a small pocket knife from the inside of her lush, fur coat. Jasper and Horace screamed as she swiped down...and freed them from the ropes.

“Get out of this room,” Cruella pointed towards the exit.** _ “AND CATCH THOSE PUPPIES!!!” _ **

Jasper and Horace fell over each other as they shot out of the chairs and scrambled up the stairs. Cruella rubbed her temple with an agonized expression. She clenched the knife for a second, then calmly placed it back inside her coat. 

“Of course. How could I not see it before?” there was a wild look in her eyes as she dug into her pocket and pulled out a pair of car keys.

“If you want something to be done right...you have to do it _ yourself.” _

****

Kairi sped down the street, careful of any pedestrians nearby. Xion was in the passenger seat, nervously fiddling with her fingers. 

“...Do you really think we’re safe now?”

“No one saw us leave the garage, remember?” Kairi looked up. “...Well, except for that one really big guard. But we knocked him out.”

“I know, but…” Xion glanced outside the window. “This is a truck from Cruella’s company. What if she has some sort of tracking device for it?”

“We’re pretty far down the highway already…” she stated. “Worst case scenario is that she’ll send one or two cars after us, which won’t catch up by the time we reach the police department.”

“Kairi.”

“Then they’ll send her to jail. Simple as that.”

_ “Kairi.” _

“What?”

“LOOK OUT!” Xion reached over and grabbed the wheel, swerving it just as a car rammed into the side. She let go and turned back to the window.

Below them, a bright red car’s engine roared as it grinded against the truck. Xion paled at the sight of that black and white hair all over the woman’s face. Cruella herself looked furious. 

“It’s _ her!” _

“Cruella’s trying to stop us herself???” Kairi tensed up.

Xion noticed four black cars gained speed around them. One in particular had two very familiar men poking their heads out the window.

“...She has help now. We’re surrounded!”

“Of course we are.” Kairi rolled her eyes in mild irritation. 

Kairi hit the brakes, crushing the front of the first car behind them with the rear of the truck. She then hit the accelerator to prevent any of the cars from going in front of them (which she would have barreled through anyways). Xion clung onto her seat for dear life, regretting her choice to let Kairi take the wheel.

_ “Could you slow down a little?!?” _

“I can’t do that! We’re being chased!” Kairi spun the wheel, crashing into one of the black cars next to them. It spun out of control and stopped after hitting the metal railings on the corners of the highway. Xion yelped as a gunshot went off, shattering the window next to her. 

Cruella rammed into them a second time with reckless abandon, breaking one of the headlights to her own car. She slowly began pushing them towards the edge, which Kairi struggled to fight against. She temporarily lost her grip on the wheel as another black car came and hit them from behind. Xion covered her ears as the side of the truck screeched, being dragged across the metal railings. Sparks flew as Kairi regained control over the wheel with some difficulty.

“I can't...move back!” Kairi grunted as she tried turning, but couldn't with the weight of Cruella’s car pushing against the truck. If they stayed there for any longer, the railings could break and send them flying into the river below. The puppies were whining loudly in the back.

Xion cried out as one of the men from the black cars jumped onto her door, aiming a gun at her. She kicked him in the face through the open window, causing him to land right on top of Cruella’s car. She hit the brakes.

“Give me _ that!” _ Cruella snatched the weapon from her lackey and shoved his limp body off her vehicle. She pressed her foot into the accelerator, narrowly missing the man’s head as she drove around him and kept going. 

With Cruella’s delay, Kairi managed to get back into a lane. She sped up some more when she saw the woman catching up again. There was a fiery gleam in her eyes as she raised her weapon and started shooting at the truck. The girls ducked their heads as Cruella took out one of the rearview mirrors. 

“Good god, that madwoman might actually pull it off!” Jasper said, putting his hand over his hat to keep it from coming off.

“Jasper, look!” Horace pointed forward. “There's a split in the highway! It don't look like they're gonna make it for that turn!”

“Aw, hell.” Jasper hit the accelerator. “I ain't losing that reward!”

“Don't you mean ‘we'?” 

“No, I mean ‘I'!” Jasper snarled. “You started this whole mess by losing that pup!”

“Well, I didn't want to do this stupid job in the first place!” Horace retorted. 

They continued to argue with each other, gradually speeding up until they were well above 80 miles per hour. Failing to realize they were heading straight into a collision with the truck and Cruella. Xion noted it first and started tugging at Kairi’s sleeve.

“You have to get out of the way!”

Kairi looked at the speedometer, then at the road ahead. Even if she tried braking, they would most likely skid for a few feet and crash into the split anyways.

_ Unless…. _

She reached down for the emergency brake, which was a small lever. 

“Hold on tight! I don't know if this will work!”

Xion grabbed the door handle and her seat. She gave Kairi a reassuring nod. Without a second thought, Kairi pulled back on the lever. She pressed both of her feet into the brake for good measure.

Cruella drove past them, perplexed as to why they stopped. It wasn’t until she saw Jasper and Horace yelling at each other, heading straight for her, that she realized what they’d done. She tried swerving, but it was too late. Their car ran right into hers, forcing them both to spin violently. Cruella and her hired help careened right off the highway and into the river, landing with a loud _ splash. _

Kairi and Xion hopped out of the truck to see what had become of Cruella. They looked down and saw her on top of her ruined car, sobbing loudly as she smacked Jasper and Horace.

“Idiots! Imbeciles! You've ruined everything!”

“Ah, shaddup.” Jasper slapped her hand away, causing her to lose balance and fall into the water. Kairi and Xion gave each other a high five.

****

A few hours later, Kairi and Xion returned to the cafe, victorious. Cruella had already been picked up by the police and was taken into custody. Pongo, Perdita, and the puppies were safe, having sustained no injuries despite the several dents in the truck. Anita, Roger, and Nanny were busy having a conversation. Xion and Kairi looked at each other.

“Well, I guess that's it.” Xion extended her hand towards Kairi. “Even though it got a little crazy, this was a fun adventure. Thanks.”

Kairi shook her hand, nodding. “No problem.”

“...Does this make us friends now?”

“Sure, why not?” Kairi shrugged. “If you ever want to talk or need help again, here.” Kairi pulled up her number on her phone. 

“In case you ever need it.”

“Right!” Xion smiled brightly as she typed the number into her own.

“Can I get in on this action, too?”

Xion and Kairi turned around. A tall, lean officer with red, spiky hair gave Xion a goofy grin. She slapped his arm.

“Grow up, Lea.” There was a hint of playfulness in her tone. “What are you doing here?”

“I'm a detective, kiddo. It's kinda my job to be here.” Lea pointed behind him at another man that was approaching.

“Plus, Isa told me to ‘get off my ass and do something useful’. Which I _ was _, so I don't get why he was upset.”

“...You were taking a nap, weren't you?”

Lea snickered. “Maybe.”

“He was.” Isa stopped next to him, giving him a stern look. He then looked over at the girls.

“Thank you for your contribution to this case. It would've been difficult to bring Ms. DeVil to justice, had you not given her incentive to show her true colors.”

“Jeez Isa, loosen up a little!” Lea nudged him. “We haven't even introduced ourselves to Xion’s new friend!”

“I'm Kairi.” She shook Lea and Isa’s hands. “It's nice to meet you.”

“The name’s Lea. A friend of Xion’s is a friend of mine, so you might as well get it memorized.” he tapped the side of head. “Oh, and this is my partner Isa. He’s happy to meet you too. Just...trust me that one.”

“....” Isa gazed at Kairi with an unreadable expression. “What is it that you do for a living?”

“Oh, um…” Kairi wracked her brain for an appropriate response. “I work in...real estate. I’m the vice president...”

“Wow, that’s super impressive!” Xion clapped her hands together. “And you’re so young!”

“Huh. Never woulda guessed. Then again, your outfit does scream ‘tough business lady’. I can see it.” Lea rubbed his head.

“In any case, please be more careful in the future.” Isa raised an eyebrow. “Leave it to the professionals to handle unpleasant people like Ms. DeVil. We wouldn't want someone of _ your _status to get hurt, now would we?”

Kairi hummed, unsettled by the look he’d just given her.

_ ...That’s weird. Does he know that I lied…? _

“Welp!” Lea patted Isa’s shoulder. “We’d better get going. All that paperwork isn’t gonna write itself!”

“It would be a miracle if you actually helped me do some of it.” Isa turned his attention back to Lea, who seemed oblivious to the tension. Kairi relaxed a little. 

“Don’t worry, buddy! I’ll help you with that paperwork...after we check out that other case!” Lea spun around, heading towards their car. Isa followed him.

“Y’know, that loan shark that’s presumably handing out illegal money. Way more important than some stupid papers.”

“Loan sharks are filth.” Isa clenched his hands into fists. _ “Especially _ that one.”

“You just don’t like him because the first time we visited, you caught him sleeping with a sitar in his lap. I thought it was funny.”

“It was _ irresponsible. _ He had a job to do, and he wasn’t doing it.” Isa gritted his teeth. “So not only is he potentially a scumbag, he was also _ lazy. _He wasted our time.”

“Well, I’m lazy. You don’t hate _ me _for it, do you?”

“...It’s not a trait I particularly like about you.”

_“Ouch.” _Lea put a hand on his chest. “That’s harsh, man.”

Kairi and Xion exchanged an amused glance as the two detectives left. They approached Anita, Roger, and Nanny when they heard them call out their names. Nanny was the first to initiate conversation.

“I must say...I didn't expect you two to come back with all of the missing dalmatians!” Nanny wiped her forehead with a handkerchief. “And with 84 more to boot! Gracious…”

Roger counted with his fingers. “Let's see. That makes about...101 dalmatians!”

“101…!” Anita placed a hand on the side of her face. “That's...so many!”

“The extra ones we found were all bought by Cruella.” Kairi crossed her arms, looking a bit distraught. “...I guess that means they don't have a home.”

“That's true.” Anita winced. “I don't think we could afford to care for all of them.”

Roger rubbed his chin. “Well, why not?”

“You know we can't do that, dear! It's too much!” Anita rubbed her arms. “...And it's pretty clear that I no longer have my job. They're shutting down House Of DeVil as we speak.”

“Forget about House Of DeVil!” Roger put his hands on her shoulders. “You should make your own clothing and sell it!”

“You...you really think I can?”

“Of course, Anita. You know I've always had the utmost faith in you. You've got talent, so you should let it shine.” he smiled wide, showing his dimples.

“Oh, Roger.” She hugged him tightly. “That's so sweet of you to say!”

“And while you get back on your feet, we'll keep running the restaurant together!” Roger chuckled. “Which I believe will need a new name now.”

“What did you have in mind?”

Roger tapped his foot, deep in thought at his wife’s question. His finger suddenly shot up when he had an epiphany. 

“That's it! We'll just call it Cafe 101! We named it after the puppies the first time, didn't we?”

Anita laughed, placing her hand over her mouth. “That isn't much different from before, you know.”

“I think it has a much nicer ring to it this time!” Roger said. “It’ll make people wonder what caused the change, which will attract more customers!”

“I suppose so!” Anita nodded in agreement, then turned her head towards Kairi and Xion.

“I can't thank you two enough for all your help. When we get the chance, Xion, we'll definitely give you a raise.”

“Yes!” Xion pumped her fist. 

“And Kairi? Is there something you wanted in return?” Anita inquired.

Kairi opened her mouth to say what was on her mind for a while, but paused. After everything the Dearlys had gone through with Cruella, was it really her place to enforce ownership of their property? While it benefited the clan, she wasn't sure that they would be keen on leaving their lives in the hands of criminals.

Kairi let out a small sigh. She smiled faintly.

“...No. I don't want anything. I'm just happy to help.” she was surprised that she truly meant those words.

“Oh come now, don't be so modest!” Nanny put her hands on her hips. “At least have a small bite while you're here. It'll be on the house!”

Kairi giggled. “...I guess that's alright, then.”

“Let head on inside!” Roger looked at Pongo, Perdy, and the puppies. _ “All _ of us.”

The two parents barked excitedly and headed inside. They all laughed as the puppies went in behind them, wagging their tails. Kairi looked up to the sky, feeling warm inside.

_ ...Some places are better left untouched. _

****

Kairi returned to headquarters a few hours later. Just as she was about to head upstairs, she saw Dilan and Aeleus running to her.

“Boss!” 

“What’s wrong?” Kairi looked up at the men as they stopped in front of her, gasping for air.

“...Please come with us. There’s something you need to see.”

“...Okay…” Kairi quirked an eyebrow. 

She speed-walked down the hall until they reached the storage room. Dilan opened the door for her, lowering his head slightly. Kairi heard a familiar voice as she stepped inside.

“You’re such a good boy…! Yes you are! _ Yes you are!” _

_ Oh no. _

Kairi sped up a little until she finally caught sight of Sora. Scritching the neck of a chocobo. Which she had specifically told him _ never _to get. She narrowed her eyes, putting her hands on her hips.

“A-_ HEM.” _

Sora jumped, finally noticing her. The chocobo let out a small trill, intrigued by the new person in the room.

“K-Kairi!” Sora grabbed a nearby tarp and threw it over the chocobo’s head. “You’re...you’re early!”

Kairi said nothing, simply giving him a disappointed look. Sora twiddled his fingers anxiously. 

“I...I know what it looks like. But I promise you that he’s domesticated! He wouldn’t hurt a fly!” 

“It smells like a pigsty in here.”

“He’s..._ mostly _domesticated?” Sora forced a smile. “Okay, so I haven’t fully potty-trained him yet. I’m working on it. His name is Fluffy.”

Kairi frowned. 

“...You’re sending him back.”

“What??? Why?!?”

“We can’t keep a chocobo here, Sora. This room is for_ supplies. _ It’s not designed for animals. And I know that if I let you keep this one, you’ll want more for your crazy chocobo derby idea.”

“Can you really turn away this face?” Sora pulled off the tarp and pulled Fluffy’s head closer to his. He gave her a pleading look.

“...While that might have worked a few years ago, I’m not letting it slide this time.” Kairi shook her head. 

“I’m sorry, Sora. But ‘Fluffy’ has to go.”

“Aww.” Sora teared up a little. 

“And please clean this place up as soon as possible. I don’t want it to smell like this when my father comes back.”

“Yeah, I know.” Sora sighed.

Kairi approached and rubbed his shoulder. 

“...Look. I’ll even help you. As long as you send the chocobo back on the next ship back to...wherever he came from.”

“Thanks.” he smiled at her.

Kairi nodded, then turned to leave. Sora pet Fluffy’s neck, who cooed and nuzzled the top of his head.

_ One day...my dream WILL be realized…. _Sora dramatically clenched his chest.

“Um, Sora? You coming?”

“O-oh, right!” Sora shook his head. “Sorry!”

Kairi couldn’t help but laugh a little. He always managed to put her in a good mood, no matter what he did. She never understood why, but she wasn’t complaining. It made him all the more special to keep around. Riku would agree.

_ You’re a mess. But you’re also one of my best men. Keep being yourself, Sora. _

****

“You have five mintues.”

Cruella picked up the phone and quickly dialed a number. She drummed her fingernails on the table.

_ Come on, come on…! Pick up! _

She gasped when she heard the click on the phone. 

“...Who is this?”

“It’s me! Cruella! Cruella DeVil!”

“Oh. You again.” there was a bit of rustling. “What do you want this time?”

“I need you to remove all of my allegations. Convince the police to turn a blind eye. Persuade them with money. If you don’t, I’ll be sentenced to this hellhole for life! I’ll pay any amount for your assistance!”

There was silence on the other end. Cruella bit her lip. 

“Well???”

“...You misunderstand the purpose of my business, Cruella. I don’t want money. I want _ power.” _

“But money _ is _ power!”

“Money is useless if you don’t know how to handle it. And personally, it would be much more beneficial to me if I bought your entire company instead.”

Cruella slammed her hand on the table. 

“You...you can’t do this to me! I gave you some of my profits, and THIS is how you repay me?!? If you take my company away, you take my entire fortune! I’ll be _ ruined!!!” _

“You should’ve thought of that before pursuing that ridiculous obsession of yours. You’ve no one to blame but yourself.”

_ “HOW DARE YOU!!!” _ Cruella screamed. “I’LL GET MY REVENGE, JUST YOU WA-”

The woman on the other end hung up. She finished signing off on the papers that originally belonged to one of her rivals that wasn’t yakuza. The last one in Kamurocho, as a matter of fact. Cruella’s property was hers now. She looked up briefly as someone knocked on her office door.

“Come in.”

The large, burly cat opened the door. He was holding a newspaper.

“What is it now, Pete? Can you not see that I am occupied?”

“Sorry to bother ya, Maleficent.” he took off his tiny hat. “But there’s somethin’ on this article ya gotta see!”

“...Hand it over.” Maleficent extended her arm towards Pete. He gave her the newspaper and she began to read. Her eyes lit up.

“Fascinating. What could one of the yakuza be doing out and about, having the nerve to show their face in public? And a patriarch, no less?”

“Maybe she was hidin’ her identity? S’not like anyone knows who she _ really _is.” 

“True. Yakuza do their best to avoid that.” Maleficent rolled up the newspaper and gave it back to Pete. She smiled eerily.

“Make sure you hold onto that newspaper. It may be of use to us in the near future.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: Apparently in the 101 Dalmatians TV show that came out in the 90's, Cruella did not smoke regularly or have an obsession with fur (and want to kill innocent animals for her coats??? Yikes???). Instead, she just wanted to buy the land that Anita and Roger owned. They did not remove this from the live-action version, though (which for me was an underrated gem. Glenn Close was TERRIFYING as Cruella, oof).


End file.
